A Great Week for Hockey

I’ve been busier than usual lately. Just finished writing a 10-page paper for a research methods class. Anyway, here are a few updates that you may find interesting:

My ’94-95 Lockout Article in Beckett Hockey #249

I have a 2-page article in the May 2013 issue of Beckett Hockey (#249). It is entitled A Hobby-Changing Experience, and is about the 1994-95 NHL Lockout and the long-term effects it had on the hockey card industry. A few sets got cancelled, a few new innovative ideas were tested–and there was even a lawsuit between two companies! Check out the issue–on sale now–for all of the interesting details.

Also making this a GREAT week for hockey…

The Norgeeks are Number One!

For the first time ever, I won a fantasy sports league. The Norgeeks (my team) won this year’s annual Just A Bit Offside fantasy hockey pool. Two years ago (as Team Puck Junk), I finished 4th, while last season I finished 2nd. Talk about progress.

Really, the guy who saved my season was Ray Emery. I picked up the Blackhawks backup goalie as a free agent, and he went 17-1-0 this year. That really helped, since Jonathan Quick and Braden Holtby performed horribly until the latter half of the season.

Unfortunately, Emery was injured for the last few games of the season. But that brings up my last piece of good news:

Carter Hutton Makes His NHL Debut

Who is Carter Hutton, you ask? He is the Blackhawks’ top minor league goalie. And after 4 seasons of working hard in the minors, he finally got a chance to play in an NHL game. This is the first time I really pulled for a player to get a shot in the big leagues.

Hutton appeared as a backup for the Philadelphia Flyers in 2009-10, the San Jose Sharks in 2010-11 and the Chicago Blackhawks in 2011-12. But he never actually stepped on the ice in any of those games, so while he has a few rookie cards in 2010-11 card sets, he never actually played in an NHL game. Until this past Saturday.

After 4 seasons of getting so very close, Hutton finally got his shot. He made 25 saves in a 3-1 loss to the St. Louis Blues. The Blues, vying for better playoff position, fielded their regular lineup, while the ‘Hawks rested many of their regulars and gave numerous other IceHogs players a chance to play. So, the game was kind of one-sided from the get-go, but Hutton did well enough that I think Coach Joel Quenneville might give him a shot next year in training camp.

So far, a great week.I had an article published, won first place in my fantasy hockey league and a minor league player I like got a chance to play in the NHL. And it’s only Tuesday. What other good hockey-related things might happen this week?

I saw some of that Hawks-Blues game. I was wondering what was going on. I had the same thought when I realized Carter Hutton was in net. That was to make a card of him. I remember he had some ugly rookie cards. The Donruss was a studio shot, but atleast they matched the jersey to the team. The Score RC was downright ugly with the sharks colours and Hutton in a Flyers jersey.

Great memory, Jason. I don’t mind his Donruss RC all that much, but the Score one is pretty bad. His Panini sticker that year also is a mish-mosh, as Hutton is in his Flyer’s jersey but on a card with Sharks’ colors. At least his All Goalies card has an “action” shot from a pregame warmup.